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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article 7 (Jun., 2014) |
Many changes that have occurred in the world during the information era have also affected education. Significant changes have impacted the main philosophical approaches of education (Özsevgeç, 2008). According to constructivism, knowledge is the result of the interaction among experiences, observations, comments, and thoughts by individuals (Bağcı Kılıç, 2001). Individuals have made interactions between pre-existing knowledge and new information in this process. As a result of these interactions, knowledge is constructed in their minds.
Differences appearing in instructional programs thanks to constructivism approach have caused prominent changes with measurement and assessment techniques (Özsevgeç, 2008). Although traditional measurement and assessment techniques such as writing exams, short answer tests, true-false tests, and matching questions are presently used, alternative or complementary measurement and assessment techniques have also used by educators and researchers (Bahar, Nartgün, Durmuş, & Bıçak, 2010).
When attention is given to the distinction between traditional and alternative or complementary approaches and techniques, in which they are more authentic and student-centered than traditional techniques, the learning process is evaluated as much as the final product. It is thought that alternative or complementary techniques have an effect on increasing student motivation, skills, and improving academic performance (Bahar et al., 2010). Techniques such as performance assessment, portfolio, project, interview, demonstration, poster, concept map, word association, drawings, writing composition, and fortune lines have been thought as alternative or complementary measurement and assessment techniques. These techniques help researchers and educators to obtain data related to students’ characteristics such as learning process, knowledge, skill, attitude, understanding, and views (Atasoy, 2002; Ruiz-Primo, 2004; Bahar, Özel, Prokop, & Uşak, 2008; Bahar et al., 2010; Liew &Treagust, 1995; Prokop & Fančovičova, 2006; Taşkın, 2008).
‘Fortune lines technique’ developed by Rush (1988, cited in White & Gunstone, 1998) can be used in many areas such as story, novel, poem, and in-service activities. Students try to express their feelings, thought, and understandings by drawing one or more lines for a whole course or any activity of the course. This technique can also be employed to determine the alterations in students’ feelings such as happiness, excitement, self-confidence, ability (Feteris, 2008; Nottingham, 2009; White & Gunstone, 1998).
It can be used for investigating students’ progress through the learning process and analyzing the changes as a result of the coursework and activities. Fortune lines technique can also be used successfully as pre- and posttest examinations. Fortune lines can also indicate as to what parts of the coursework were positive or negative situations for the students. Additionally, fortune lines can provide an opportunity for the students to interrogate each other by observing each of their fortune lines, which provides an opportunity for discussion in the classroom.
Implementation and analysis of fortune lines
An A4 paper, pencil, and eraser are all students need to use the fortune lines technique. A subject is instructed by a teacher firstly, and then the teacher can develop an activity sheet including important points of the subject. Afterwards, the teacher explains the fortune lines technique and how they can use it. After the activity sheet is given to the students, the teacher asks the students to draw a line for each part of the subject. In other words, the students are asked to use symbols to draw each line to indicate their views (Rush, 1998, cited in White & Gunstone, 1998). Table 1 displays symbols and meanings of fortune lines.
Table 1: Symbols and meanings of fortune lines technique (from Rush, 1988, cited in White & Gunstone, 1988)
Symbols of Fortune Lines
Meanings of Symbols Fortune Lines
Developing, positive fortune lines
Worsening, negative fortune lines
Unchanging, constant fortune lines
Changing, variable fortune lines
An example of an activity related to pre-service education was given below (White & Gunstone, 1988). Prospective teachers had pre-service education for a year, and pre-service education included eight sections:
1. The week before education begins,
2. Several days of education,
3. Five weeks in the university before first term,
4. Initial 3 weeks of first term,
5. Holiday for 2 weeks,
6. Three weeks in the university after holiday,
7. Second term,
8. Four weeks after instruction.
Prospective teachers were asked to draw fortune lines about the changes of their own self-confidence feelings regarding the 8 sections. Figure 1 shows an example of the fortune lines drawn by a prospective teacher. As shown in Figure 1, the confidence level of the prospective teacher was high for first section. His confidence started to fall slowly in the 2nd and 3rd sections. Although his confidence dropped in section 4 and his confidence level was stable in section 5. After his confidence level had increased in section 6, his confidence level continued to rise slowly in sections 7 and 8.
Figure 1. Fortune lines of a prospective teacher about changes of confidence level (from White & Gunstone, 1988)
To analyze fortune lines drawn by students, firstly teachers should draw a graph of their own expected fortune lines for a course or an activity. Then, teachers should compare their expectations with the students’ fortune lines. Lines that coincide with the expectations of the teachers should be marked with a ‘+’; whereas those that do not should be marked with a ‘-’; and those requiring explanation should be marked with a ‘?’. In addition, data can be converted into a numerical form (Feteris, 2008; Rush, 1998, cited in White & Gunstone, 1998).
A fortune lines technique is a technique that is used in the general evaluation of domains such as novel, play, poem, music, history, stories, and activities that are composed of more than one parts or stages. It can be prefered due to the fact that it is feasible, different, and it can be completed in a short time. This technique which is used to measure student’s attitudes, satisfaction, and thoughts has been developed as a supplementary measurement tool in addition to traditional evaluation methods such as writing composition, and question-answer (Rush, 1998, cited in White & Gunstone, 1998).
There are limited studies on the fortune lines technique. For example, fortune lines were used during interviews and in some written surveys. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained by fortune lines in a study conducted by Feteris (2008). The study results showed that students’ skill developments were high in the first and third years of school although they were low in the second year. In another study, Yamaguchia et al. (2008) developed the ‘Digital fortune Line System’.
There is some research about enzymes in biology courses (Sinan, 2007) such as misconceptions about enzymes (Selvi & Yakışan, 2004; Sinan, Yıldırım, Kocakülah, & Aydın, 2006; Linenberger & Bretz, 2012); cognitive structures about enzymes (Kurt, 2013); and analogies for meaningful learning of enzymes (Atav et al, 2004). In these examples, it was observed that students had misconceptions about enzymes. Enzymes are a difficult subject for students (Bahar, 2002; Kurt, 2013). One of the reasons for this is that some topics regarding enzymes are abstract (Sinan, 2007). In this study, the topic of enzymes has been selected for the use fortune lines technique because some topics that seem abstract can be linked with daily life.
A review of the literature fails to reveal any study reported in Turkey related to fortune lines technique. This study is carried out to determine the thoughts of students about the usage of enzymes in daily life for the purpose of displaying fortune lines technique’s feasibility in biology education. We believe that the findings of the present study will contribute to the literature regarding fortune lines technique.The purpose of this study was to investigate the usage of fortune lines technique among ninth grade students.
Two questions guided this study:
1. What are the students’ views about fortune lines technique?
2. What are the students’ views about the usage of enzymes in daily life according to fortune lines technique?
